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European table-topping clash of physical and technical power

19 Jul. 2019

European table-topping clash of physical and technical power

Both Hungary and Croatia have a perfect record of two wins from two games at the 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship so far but that will end this evening as they face each other in the continental clash at the Pavillon Municipal de Deportes de Pontevedra.

Bahrain and Kosovo are at the other end – they have lost both of their games and face tough tests against Brazil and Portugal respectively, with both of their opponents looking to add to their solitary win each so far.

GROUP C
Feature match: Croatia vs Hungary
Pavillon Municipal de Deportes de Pontevedra, 18:30 local time

These two neighbouring countries are both in good form so far at Spain 2019, with a 100% record in Group C thanks to two wins each.

Croatia beat Kosovo 23:17, while Hungary ran out 36:21 winners against the nation debuting at a world championship and both had hard tests in their other games – Croatia with a 33:29 win against Brazil yesterday and Hungary against Bahrain on the opening day, 34:30.

Hungarian coach Janos Gyurka talked about the importance of momentum at a world championship and he will be looking for his team to continue in the spirit they displayed against Kosovo, with a victory celebrated loudly in their locker room and a squad full of smiling faces emerging from it to take the bus back to their hotel. 

Croatia had a much harder test against Brazil last night but a fantastic display from Ivan Eres in their goal and some impressive strikes up front, including a spectacular in-flight goal, was enough to make their coach Davor Dominikovic happy, who admitted the key to the victory was that his side “never stopped believing.”

Belief is certainly something the best player of the match, Eres, had yesterday and he was quick to stress the importance of the team, not individual performance. “We played all the time with great team spirit and at a higher level than in our match against Kosovo,” he said.

Another key player for Croatia so far has been centre back Filip Vistorop, scorer of 15 goals, as well as right back Ivan Martinovic, the architect of that in-flight goal and their creativity could be a deciding factor later today.

Third time lucky for Bahrain or Kosovo?

“We have to think and reflect on the defeat and improve for the next matches,” said Kosovo’s Atdhe Basholli after their defeat to Hungary yesterday and they face a Portugal side who finally got their first win, against Bahrain, with their coach Ricardo Santos revealing his relief. “Now we have more confidence, we have been more comfortable with teamwork and hopefully continue to improve and achieve that consistency we want.”

His influential player Diogo Silva, top scorer of Spain 2019 after two matches with 24 goals, is sure of what his side can achieve, despite key line player Luis Frade missing the match due to injury. “There has been an improvement and now we have to keep winning,” he said to SpainHandball19.com. “I'm sure we can do great things.”

Brazil face Bahrain in the late match with the South Americans playing two highly-intense matches so far with one win and one loss and the Asian junior bronze medallists having lost both.

“Obviously we need to improve to beat the strong teams,” said their Icelandic coach Johan Halldor matter-of-factly after their defeat against Portugal. “We need to have more discipline and make fewer errors.”

Group C – Pavillon Municipal de Deportes de Pontevedra: Friday 19 July
All times local

16:30    POR vs KOS
18:30    CRO vs HUN
20:30    BRA vs BRN